1. Cherry scab in the conditions of the Ganja-Kazakh geographical zone of Azerbaijan

Author: Farman Guliyev, Lala Huseynova

Abstract

Scab is one of the most common and harmful diseases of cherries, found in all western regions (Ganja-Kazakh geographical zone of the country) of its cultivation. Mass damage to cherries by scab is often observed in wet years. The disease manifests itself on leaves and fruits causing a great harm to fruit-bearing cherry plantations. The harmfulness of cherry scab is expressed by a decrease in yield and a deterioration in its quality. The direct crop losses from scab on heavily affected cherry cultivars (for example, the cultivar „Shedraya“) can reach 60-80%; the decrease in the yield of the first-class products is 90%. In the cherry orchards of Azerbaijan, the shortage of products from scab reaches 50-70%, and in the years of epiphytoties, the harvest may be completely absent.
In the affected leaves, photosynthesis decreases, they fall prematurely. The sick fruits are delayed in development, wrinkled, which reduces the yield and degrades the quality of products.
The article presents the results of the field research carried out on cherry scab (Fusicladium cerasi (Rabenh.) Sacc.) in the conditions of the western part of Azerbaijan in 2021-2022. In 2022, an assessment of the prevalence and intensity of scab in the region was done, and a scientifically based and improved control system was developed. For this purpose, the following preparations were tested in the fight against scab on cherries: Abiga Peak, VS (400 g/l copper oxychloride), Score, EC (250 g/l difenoconazole), Hom, SP (861 g/kg copper oxychloride), Chorus, FDG (750 g/kg cyprodinil) and a control without chemical treatment.

Keywords: cherry, scab, fungus, susceptibility, fungicides